Baltic energy systems are currently quite secure - US assistant secretary

RIGA - The Baltic energy systems are currently quite secure, US Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt told LETA in an interview.

Pyatt visited the Baltic states last week.

He noted that he had spent much of the visit talking to officials about BRELL and de-synchronization. Among other things, Pyatt reminded that an agreement had been reached at political level to proceed with de-synchronization this year, and that technical experts were clear on how to go about it.

"I have spoken to politicians in the Baltic countries and to network operators and I think everyone is confident that the right work is being done on capacitors, transformers and interconnectors, all the physical infrastructure that is needed to make de-synchronization happen. It is equally important that everyone understands that this is a cost worth paying because it will improve your national security. It also removes the last lever Russia could use against you, your residents and your economy," said Pyatt.

He reminded that until recently the Baltic states were dependent on Russian gas supplies.

"Latvia is one of the really important examples, because you have gone from being an importer of Russian gas to a country without Russian gas, showing in practice what it looks like to break dependence. I had really great talks in Riga, but I was particularly impressed by your Economy Minister, who said that having gone through this energy war, you are now much safer and more confident that you will never have to face such risks again," said Pyatt.

Asked whether US investors are interested in investing in energy projects in the Baltic states, Pyatt said that there are many investment opportunities in the US, as the market is developing very fast and the demand for electricity is increasing with the transition from fossil energy to renewable energy sources.

However, Pyatt expressed the hope that US energy technology manufacturers will become partners in the projects being developed in the Baltic states.